Students with undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, other branches of engineering, physics, mathematics, or related sciences are invited to apply for admission. Capable students without such undergraduate preparation may also be considered for admission. Students may hold either the B.S. or B.A. degree. Graduate study in electrical engineering requires that students be adequately prepared in areas such as circuits, digital systems, fields, lab work, mathematics, and physics. Students should typically be able to complete the master's degree in five quarters; note that most courses are not offered during the Summer.
In planning a course of study, it is the student's responsibility, in consultation with an advisor, to determine whether the prerequisites for advanced courses have been met. Prerequisite courses ordinarily taken by undergraduates may be included as part of the graduate program of study. However, if the number of these is large, the proposed program may contain more than the minimum 45 units, and the time required to meet the degree requirements may be increased.
The master's degree program provides advanced preparation for professional practice or for teaching at the junior college level. Faculty are assigned as program advisors to provide guidance in course selection and in exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. Each student, with the help of a program advisor, prepares an individual program and submits it to the Department for approval. The program proposal must be submitted to the Degree Progress Officer before the end of the first quarter of graduate study (second quarter for Honors Cooperative Program students); a final revised version is due at the beginning of the final quarter of study, prior to degree conferral. Detailed requirements and instructions can be found in the EE Grad Handbook. All requirements for a master's degree must be completed within three years after the student's first term of enrollment in the master's program (five years for Honors Cooperative Program students).
University Coterminal Requirements
Coterminal master's degree candidates are expected to complete all master's degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master's degree are described in the "Coterminal Master's Program" section. University requirements for the master's degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this Bulletin.
After accepting admission to this coterminal master's degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master's degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case-by-case basis.
In this master's program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career using the Coterminal Course Transfer eForm via Axess; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master's degree requirements.
Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor's degree has been conferred.
The University requires that a graduate advisor be assigned in the student's first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate degree requirements may not have been completed. The University also requires that the Master's Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the Department by the end of the student's first graduate quarter.
Master of Science with Distinction in Research
A student who wishes to pursue the M.S. in EE with distinction in research must first identify a faculty advisor who agrees to supervise and support the research work. The research adviser must be a member of the Academic Council and must hold an appointment in Electrical Engineering. The student and principal advisor must also identify another faculty member, who need not be in the Department of Electrical Engineering, to serve as a secondary advisor and reader for the research report. I

